The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has declared that it has not endorsed any presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, urging voters in the South-South to carefully assess contenders and support those capable of advancing the interests of the Niger Delta.
The forum reaffirmed its non-partisan position, insisting that it is neither aligned with any political party nor operating as a support group for any presidential candidate.
National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists after a meeting attended by former governors, former ministers, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from the six South-South states.
Igali urged residents of the region to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and vote according to their conscience, stressing the need to prioritise candidates with credible programmes and a demonstrated commitment to regional development.
“PANDEF is non-partisan and not supporting any candidate. It is not a political party or support group,” he said.
He added, “We call on our people to ‘shine your eyes’ and vote according to their conscience. They should look at candidates who have the capacity to help us as a region and move this country forward.”
The PANDEF chairman urged voters to scrutinise candidates at all levels of government, arguing that their choices should reflect the aspirations of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.
He also appealed to indigenes of the Niger Delta holding public offices, particularly at the federal level, to demonstrate greater commitment to the activities of the organisation.
According to him, stronger participation by the region’s public officeholders would help PANDEF pursue its objectives of promoting unity and advancing the interests of Niger Delta communities.
Also speaking, former Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees, Victor Attah, reiterated that the organisation had not endorsed any presidential candidate.
“We are not aligning ourselves with any candidate. PANDEF has remained entirely neutral and non-partisan,” Attah said.
He urged voters in the South-South to support whoever they believe would work in the best interests of the Niger Delta and the country.
The clarification comes as political parties and presidential hopefuls intensify preparations for the 2027 general election.
Beyond its position on the forthcoming polls, PANDEF renewed its demand for an increase in the derivation allocation to oil-producing states from the current minimum of 13 per cent to 50 per cent.
Igali said the proposed increase would provide oil-producing communities with greater resources to tackle environmental pollution, infrastructure deficits and other development challenges in the region.
The forum also called for the abolition of the onshore-offshore dichotomy in revenue allocation, arguing that oil-producing communities deserved a fairer share of the resources extracted from their environment.
PANDEF is a regional organisation comprising political leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states, with a mandate to promote unity and advance the interests of the Niger Delta.
